On Labor Day, I attended the second annual All Believers Network symposium, "Moving from Exclusion to Inclusion in my Faith," hosted by the Jisso Center of Seicho-No-Ie Hawaii.

We gathered for a day of listening and dialogue. As a newcomer to the All Believer's Network, I did not know what to expect, but was excited by the prospects.

I did my undergraduate work in comparative studies of religion, so the faiths represented were ones I had read about before. But there is a great difference between reading in a book and speaking openly, listening fully to a spiritual person standing before you, trying to share something, trying to connect.

In one morning session, eight strangers sat at a table: Hindu, Buddhist, Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, agnostic and Unitarian Universalist. We were encouraged to share personally from our own experience. We were asked to talk about God, the divine presence, the one who goes by many names and no name. And so we spoke, each stranger, each individual sharing, adding something. By the time we had gone around once the circle had grown closer. We were perched on the edges of our chairs, each engaging and engaged. There were rational statements, there were beautiful poetic sentiments, there was one very strong emotional situation described. And all were held gently, tenderly by the others. Each offering of self was treated as important, sacred even. And we were able to move from places of separation to a welcoming feeling of acceptance. This was my experience. And not all that was spoken was positive. There were words of concern, doubt, and uncertainty.

Many of us spoke of how words seemed to limit our experience of the beloved presence, the sacred or divine. Each of us was working to articulate something very valuable and very real. And we did it with a table full of strangers.

At the last break-out group, we talked about how to continue the Believers Network discussions. One participant asked for something that did not yet exist: space to be made at the table for non-theists, polytheists and non-believers. My first thought was to wonder why a non-believer might be drawn to a symposium for the All Believers Network. That was a stumbling block for me, but it did not seem to be for others at the table. This non-believer was invited to participate more fully in the planning. She was invited to talk about her experience and she offered ways that her perspective and the perspectives of others not currently at the All Believers table might be included in future events.

She challenged the group to live up to an idyllic vision of spirituality, and the group at the table rose to the challenge in the moment.

I was heartened to see people of such diversity come together with honesty and compassion. People who honestly wanted to deepen their faith turned toward other people of differing faith as fellow journeyers on the path, even teachers.

Laura Friedman is the new intern minister for the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu. She is preparing for the Unitarian Universalist ministry.